Open universities like the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) have helped millions of students in completing their higher education. Such universities have also made education accessible to the economically weaker sections (EWS) of the society, which can’t afford to study in private colleges due to exorbitant fees.
These universities help students in completing their higher education when they fail to get admission in other colleges of the country. Students also have the option of working and studying simultaneously when they study from open universities.
An article published recently by NDTV brought to light the number of students who graduated from IGNOU last year. The article stated that around 200,000 degrees, diplomas, and certificates were awarded to the successful students in their respective programmes in the 32nd Convocation Ceremony organised by IGNOU. It also mentioned that gold medals were awarded to over 70 meritorious students.
Thus, it can be said that distance education is like a blessing for many people. But, when we dig a bit deeper, we find that the problems faced while studying at the university outnumber the benefits offered.
One of the major shortcomings of IGNOU is that it does not focus on the quality of education. According to a lot of student accounts, most of the courses offered by the university have outdated syllabi. Unlike regular colleges, IGNOU does not encourage its students to write creative answers. Instead, the students are expected to rehash the content provided in their books.
“I took admission at the university to enhance my knowledge of the subject, but, when I discovered that marks are given only for writing the answers mentioned in the study material, I decided to drop out of the course,” says an MA student, who doesn’t wish to be named.
To add on, IGNOU does not provide the students with the study material on time. Students complain that the university takes a lot of time in providing the hard copies of study material to them.
The hostile behaviour of the staff is another major concern of most of the students studying here. People have complained about the rude and unfriendly behaviour of the staff on various online platforms. The students also stated that the staff is indifferent towards their grievances and queries. Many a time, they do not answer calls and if they do, they respond rudely. This attitude creates problems for students whose only source of information is the IGNOU centre.
Apart from these problems, the limited classes conducted by IGNOU acts as another issue. For courses like the Diploma in Diet and Elementary Health (DIET), close to only 10 classes are organised. No extra classes are taken even when the syllabus is far from being complete.
IGNOU, which identifies itself as people’s university, claims to be the largest university in the world with an active enrolment of over 4 million students. People of different age groups and from different strata of society take admission at IGNOU to pursue a course of their choice.
However, the hostile behaviour of the IGNOU staff, non-availability of study material and the limited number of classes are some of the major issues which plague the university.
Thus, it becomes necessary that the ‘people’s university’ takes steps towards improving the quality of the course, the staff and the overall functioning of the university, to emerge as one of the best universities in the country.